The Descriptive Process

[rwoods]

Taking to heart NM's comments of the toughness of Stihl lite, I placed the bar on wood blocks angled with the bend and jumped up and down on it one footed with all my 225# until it was almost straight. Cut a heavy dead ash with it and I swear it appears to have straighten the slight twist out. Maybe the chain just camouflages it IDK.

Thanks as always for the encouragement.

Ron

 

[madhatte]

I haven't bent a Stihl Lite bar yet! I pretty much only cut burnt or rotten stuff at work so my conditions are unusually grim, and green wood is a luxury. So far they've held up way better than expected. I have had pretty good luck straightening regular ES bars that I've tweaked using a vise and my own body weight and patience but so far the Lite bars haven't taken a tweak I needed to address. I did bork the bearing in one nose when the tree sat down on it but once I swapped that out the bar was good as new.

 

[rwoods]

I haven't bent a Stihl Lite bar yet! I pretty much only cut burnt or rotten stuff at work so my conditions are unusually grim, and green wood is a luxury. So far they've held up way better than expected. I have had pretty good luck straightening regular ES bars that I've tweaked using a vise and my own body weight and patience but so far the Lite bars haven't taken a tweak I needed to address. I did bork the bearing in one nose when the tree sat down on it but once I swapped that out the bar was good as new.

It seemed pretty tough. It I had done that with one of my solid MAC branded bars, I would have to flip it over to bend it back the other way.

Ron

 

[northmanlogging]

I haven't bent a Stihl Lite bar yet! I pretty much only cut burnt or rotten stuff at work so my conditions are unusually grim, and green wood is a luxury. So far they've held up way better than expected. I have had pretty good luck straightening regular ES bars that I've tweaked using a vise and my own body weight and patience but so far the Lite bars haven't taken a tweak I needed to address. I did bork the bearing in one nose when the tree sat down on it but once I swapped that out the bar was good as new.

trying to steer trees... and hanging out at the stump too long, smashed a 660 doing that(handle bars got munched, still a runner when I sold it) oh and had a saw fall out of the skidder, that then got runned over... (bent the bar, wrecked the clutch cover... and a tore a big gash in the sidewall of the skidder tire, that powerhead is now my back up saw, got 7 more years out of the tire too lol, finally started to come apart where it got gashed, as well as being bald)
To be fair I've been running them since they came out only about 3 were tweaked so bad I couldn't straighten them, one wore out the sprocket nose, but its still good, current main saw that bar has out lived 2 saws now... its is getting a little sloppy but still cuts straight so?

 

[northmanlogging]

its april 1st... I had to weld up the loader on the logger truck, took 7 hours... its snowing here currently, its rained hailed, the sun shined for a bit... WTF yo...

 

[rwoods]

Back to the Stihl lite - I am usually the last to know, but just in case I have a cousin out there in the same boat, the insert is not aluminum. The milled slot is covered with a thin sheet of steel. I would not have been so gentle at first if I had my facts straight.

Changin gears, I never thought I would be one of those young old guys that complaints about getting old. Was just fooling myself. A few days ago, I found a small ball bearing on the floor. Couldn't figure what it came from but I saved it just in case. Today just in case arrived. Do you think I can remember where I put it? No. Finally gave up looking and replaced it and its twin with two slightly smaller nickel-plated BBs that I borrowed from my wife's decorating supplies. So far so good.

Ron

 

[northmanlogging]

Back to the Stihl lite - I am usually the last to know, but just in case I have a cousin out there in the same boat, the insert is not aluminum. The milled slot is covered with a thin sheet of steel. I would not have been so gentle at first if I had my facts straight.

Changin gears, I never thought I would be one of those young old guys that complaints about getting old. Was just fooling myself. A few days ago, I found a small ball bearing on the floor. Couldn't figure what it came from but I saved it just in case. Today just in case arrived. Do you think I can remember where I put it? No. Finally gave up looking and replaced it and its twin with two slightly smaller nickel-plated BBs that I borrowed from my wife's decorating supplies. So far so good.

Ron

years ago, had a hose fer the brakes on the skidder blow, in the process of repairing it i lost a 1/4 ball that acted as a one way valve, tgought it was gone forever, bush fixed it and finished the job i.e. we had no brakes for 2 weeks... get home pull belly pans and pressure warsh everything, send skidder to next job... find said ball bearing in my driveway?

ironically, a year later i warshed the skidder again, found 2 wrenches and a cold chisel, that were not mine?

 

[rwoods]

I have picked up a tool or three from under the hood of my vehicle over the years. Once picked up a nice pair of diagonals off the highway; unfortunately, through the sidewall of my tire.
Ron

 

[catbuster]

I saw the latest video from @northmanlogging about Nicks boots’ corks… Yeah, i think Nicks gave up on loggers a while ago when they started that whole casual line and started with all their work boots having the Vibram lug soles. They do some interesting stuff now… But I really don’t think they care about cork boots.

 

[madhatte]

one wore out the sprocket nose, but its still good

I did munch a nose awhile back when a biggish snag set back on it. You know the routine, full throttle and all the torque just givin' 'er the beans hoping it'll free itself. No harm to the bar.

think Nicks gave up on loggers a while ago when they started that whole casual line and started with all their work boots having the Vibram lug soles.

Agreed. I think of them as fire boots mostly. The casual stuff is off my radar.

 

[northmanlogging]

took me until now... You guys should see what Vibergs web page is all about now... speaking of "dress shoes"

 

[catbuster]

took me until now... You guys should see what Vibergs web page is all about now... speaking of "dress shoes"

Viberg completely stopped making work boots, and I don’t know if they’ve started back.

If you want a good cork boot you’re pretty much left with Frank’s (oddly enough the guy running Nicks up until they were purchased and started pushing the dress/casual line) or Wesco.

Nicks isn’t even McKay stitching the insole to the midsole anymore, which is pretty disappointing, they said it took to long and was a blind stitch, and heaven forbid some if the pansies buying their boots didn’t like the feel of a small row of stitching in their insole. I have a pair of their boots because the local agency I’m with requires 1977 certification for our wildland boots, and it keeps me good on paper, but my Frank’s see a lot more time on my feet.

 

[madhatte]

I have a new set of Hoffman calks and they're OK. Can't give them an A+ but I can give them a solid B, and for the price that's saying a lot.

 

[catbuster]

Wonders never cease. 2200 hours and hasn’t been backed into anything yet. The track spade even gets used.

I’m scheduled to tip a bunch of trees over this fall. I’ll take some pictures and maybe even some video of how I tip them over since that’s what’s required to back up whatever you’re saying now.

 

[northmanlogging]

View attachment 1076742

Wonders never cease. 2200 hours and hasn’t been backed into anything yet. The track spade even gets used.

I’m scheduled to tip a bunch of trees over this fall. I’ll take some pictures and maybe even some video of how I tip them over since that’s what’s required to back up whatever you’re saying now.

uhh... you know they want money for them things right?

 

[catbuster]

uhh... you know they want money for them things right?

Trees, dozers or shovels? They’re all expensive. I gotta pay for the dozers and shovels, I got a blast from the past asking about contract falling some stuff this fall. They want to pay me, so I guess the trees a costing them money?

 

[rwoods]

I could break that spade in an empty parking lot. Hopefully, it is evidence of a well maintained dozer.

Ron

 

[northmanlogging]

tried loggin on earlier... site was having issues.
But I swear everytime that happens I'm like welp, guess I finally got banned...

 

[catbuster]

I could break that spade in an empty parking lot. Hopefully, it is evidence of a well maintained dozer.

Ron

Those particular guys take extremely good care of their equipment. Greased every 8-10 hours (every shift), fuel topped off at the end of the day, tracks cleaned out when they park up at the end of the day. Their guys are hungry to succeed, too. They’re also paid very well.

tried loggin on earlier... site was having issues.
But I swear everytime that happens I'm like welp, guess I finally got banned...

I dunno why… Ha. I think some people get their feelings hurt for calling out mental gymnastics. I’ve had some issues logging in as well.

 

[northmanlogging]

Just heard that Terry has made it to that gyppo side in the sky.